


Coffee And Honey Cake

by aban_ataashi



Series: Leaden Tea AU [1]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffeshop AU AND Bakery AU, F/M, Fluff, Leaden Key Fluff, The Leaden Tea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aban_ataashi/pseuds/aban_ataashi
Summary: A (non-chronological) chronicle of romance at The Leaden Tea Bakery and Coffee Shop
Relationships: Thaos ix Arkannon/Original Character(s)
Series: Leaden Tea AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621054
Comments: 16
Kudos: 16
Collections: Pillars of Eternity Prompts Weekly, TTRPG Godsquad





	1. Opening Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bazylia_de_Grean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/gifts).



> It's a Coffeshop/Bakery AU for Nona and Thaos inspired by the PPW Leaden Tea prompt and by conversations with Bazylia_de_Grean! 
> 
> Nona and Thaos get ready for a busy day at the Leaden Tea Bakery and Coffee Shop.  
> (I imagine this takes place shortly after they officially get together, and at some point I may come back and write the pining that probably came before)

“Coffee?”

Thaos nods gratefully as Nona hands him the cup. At this point, she could make his order with her eyes closed- cream, no sugar, an extra shot of espresso to make up for the fact he never gets enough sleep. “Your timing is impressive.”

“I’ve been doing this for a while- I think I finally have the perfect schedule figured out,” Nona says with a smile, taking a sip from her own cup. Her coffee is stronger than she usually makes it, the natural bitterness nearly overpowering the cream and cinnamon. But today is the first day of Dead Week- the last week before exams begin at the local university, as well as the busiest time of the year for the Leaden Tea- and Nona will need the extra caffeine.

They have everything ready for the rush of panicking students, of course- Thaos, and by extension, the Leaden Tea, is nothing if not meticulously prepared. When they open their doors in five minutes, the first batch of coffee will be readied and waiting, still fresh and hot. And when the students need a snack break, the shelves will be lined with fresh pastries- including Thaos’s own homemade bread and famous honey cake, which, judging by the smell of the kitchen, has just finished baking.

Nona takes a deep breath, savoring the warm scent of fresh bread. “It smells amazing in here. We’ll have people lined up around the block.”

Thaos nods, but his expression is noncommittal. “We may have fewer customers than usual this year.”

“Because of Café Nua?” Nona asks skeptically. “They’ve only been open a few months. They’re not ready to handle Dead Week. And besides, they don’t have our reputation. Or anything half as brilliant as your secret recipes.”

The smallest smile flickers across Thaos’s face. “And they don’t have anyone half as charming as you at the counter,” he adds, and even though Nona should be used to these little compliments by now, she has to fight against the blush threatening to rise in her cheeks.

“Then between the two of us, we should have nothing to worry about,” she answers, and lifts onto her tiptoes to lightly kiss his cheek. She wonders for a moment if that’s a bit too much- they are technically at work, after all- until Thaos lifts his hand to her cheek and tilts his head to kiss her lips.

The kiss is soft, and gentle, and far too quickly it is interrupted by the faint chiming of the bell on the front door, signifying their first customer of the day. Thaos breaks the kiss with a sigh, and Nona gives him a rueful smile. “That’s my cue,” says. “Time to ride into battle.”

Thaos chuckles and nods. “If you survive, I’ll save some slices of honey cake for lunch.”

“With blackberries on the side?”

“Of course.”

“Perfect. I’ll put aside some of that pineapple tea you like and we’ll have a real feast.”

Thaos leans down to kiss Nona once more on the forehead before she exits the kitchen and takes her place at the counter, with a smile on her face for reasons that have very little to do with coffee.


	2. Mascot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can things get cuter at The Leaden Tea? With kittens.  
> (in terms of timeline, this falls somewhere pre-relationship)

“There’s someone here you should meet,” Thaos says by way of greeting when Nona arrives at work that morning.

“Who is that?” she asks, expecting a potential new hire or a guest speaker for their lecture night. But Thaos only gives her a small smile, and she knows immediately this is something different.

“It’s a surprise. Last time I checked, they were sleeping in the break room.”

Nona raises an eyebrow and, with no small amount of curiosity, makes her way down the back hallway to the break room. Inside she finds Talisa, just off her shift and collecting her things. When she catches sight of Nona, a knowing smirk crosses Talisa’s face and she nods her head towards the corner of the room. Nona follows the gesture, and that’s when she notices the cardboard box- and the small kitten curled on a pile of blankets inside.

In a heartbeat Nona is crouching over the box, a delighted smile on her face. The kitten blinks up at her with wide dark eyes that stand out against the golden brown of her fur, and gives a slightly sleepy _mew._

“Oh, what an absolute little _darling,”_ Nona coos. She lays a hand out in offering, which the kitten sniffs curiously for a moment before nuzzling her fingers.

“I thought you two might get along,” Thaos says from the doorway, amusement evident in his voice.

“Where in the world did she come from?” Nona asks, looking over her shoulder to Thaos while still stroking the tiny cat.

Thaos steps into the room and over to the box, crouching next to Nona to join her in petting the kitten.“She was out alone on the street, so I took her home,” he says, gazing down at the kitten with fondness. “And I couldn’t leave her alone all day, so I hope you don’t mind some extra company.”

“Of _course_ I don’t mind. There’s nothing I’d love more than to spend the day with little…” Nona pauses, and gives Thaos a questioning look.

Thaos looks thoughtfully at the kitten, eliciting a happy purr as he scratches the dark brown fur behind her ears. “I was thinking Copper?” he says, phrasing it as a question, as if he has been waiting to hear Nona’s opinion before making it official.

Nona’s grin widens, and she considers the name for a moment. “Copper. I like it.”

Talisa, who has been silently observing the conversation with a dry, amused expression, speaks up. “It seems The Leaden Tea now has a new mascot.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea,” Nona readily agrees. “We can put her picture up on our account- people on social media love kittens. And when she’s a little older she can even sit with me at the counter.”

“Hopefully she’ll help brighten your shifts,” Thaos says, turning his smile back to Nona. “I’m glad you like her.”

Nona’s face is warm as she smiles back. “I already enjoy my shifts here quite a bit. Now they’ll just be even better.”

Thaos nods, a pleased expression on his face. He stands up and holds a hand out to Nona. “As much as I would enjoy staying here all day, I’m afraid I must return to the kitchen.”

“And unfortunately, someone must make the coffee,” Nona agrees with a sigh. She takes the offered hand and allows Thaos to help her to her feet. And perhaps it’s merely her imagination- or more accurately, wishful thinking- but she swears his fingers linger in hers for a moment longer than is strictly necessary.

Talisa watches the exchange without a word, just a poorly concealed grin, and gives Thaos a nod as he returns to the kitchen. Once he’s gone, she turns her gaze to Nona. “You realize why he brought the kitten here, right?”

“So he wouldn’t have to leave her alone all day,” Nona answers, although she knows that’s not what Talisa is implying.

“Of course. It has nothing to do with you at all.”

Talisa’s teasing stare is difficult to argue with, so Nona turns back to Copper and distracts herself by fishing out her phone to snap a few cute pictures. “Doesn’t every business need a mascot?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Bazylia_de_Grean for the fic inspiration!  
> (Is a cat at the counter a health code violation? Probably. But I'm the author of this AU and I say it's *fine*.)


	3. Coquetry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Flower Prompt:  
> Daylily- Coquetry

Nona works late when the Leaden Tea hosts lecture nights, but she doesn’t really mind. In fact, she rather likes it. Yes, she has to work a longer shift, but while she’s at the counter she’s able to listen in on whatever the topic of the night is. The topics are always interesting, exploring history and theology, and lead to long discussions. Nona is fairly certain half the students at the nearby university only passed their philosophy classes because of the lectures.

And if she’s being perfectly honest, she likes listening to Thaos lead the lecture.

He’s a good teacher, and perhaps Nona should be surprised- she still doesn’t know where he learned all of the things he talks about- but she isn’t, not really. She always knew he was intelligent and insightful. The lectures simply confirm that fact.

So yes, the knowledge and the discussions and the extra pay are quite enough to make up for the longer hours. And for a while Nona believes those are the only reasons she looks forward to lecture nights, until one night Thaos is helping her close and says to her, “You can leave early if you’d like.”

She looks up, surprised, and he gives her a small nod. “I can finish closing up. I’m sure you’re tired of working late nights.”

“It’s really no trouble at all,” Nona assures him. “Honestly, I find the topics fascinating.”

Thaos regards her thoughtfully for a moment. “You could lead a discussion one night,” he offers. “If you want.”

Nona lets out a soft laugh, and instinctively waves the idea away. “Oh, I don’t know if I’m really qualified for that.”

She expects that to be the end of it-halfway assumes the offer is a joke, or at least an obligatory attempt to be polite- but Thaos keeps looking at her, his expression sincere. “I’ve heard you talk about these topics. I think you would do well.”

Nona can feel her cheeks begin to heat up, and she can’t stop a small, pleased smile from creeping onto her face. “You seem very certain of that.”

“It may only be my opinion, but I always find your thoughts interesting.”

“Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?” Nona replies, and she knows that now she is earnestly blushing, but she can’t bring herself to care, even though she probably should. She should care because Thaos is her coworker, and a coworker’s compliments shouldn’t make her so flustered.

Knowing this fact doesn’t stop her from smiling and adding, “It might mean more late nights, so you hopefully you don’t mind my company.”

Thaos smiles back. “Not at all.”

Later, Nona will try to convince herself it’s just a bit of harmless banter, and it doesn’t mean anything. But then she will remember the way he smiled at her in that moment, and the way it sent her chest fluttering, and she’ll have to admit that what she is feeling might be a little more than a fleeting flirtation.


	4. Delicacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Flower Prompts:  
> Jonquil- desire  
> Sweet pea- delicate pleasure

Nona bites her lip in concentration as she carefully uses a fork to shape the dough in the pie tin. It’s been a while since she’s done this, longer than she’d realized, and she hopes she can still get it right. It doesn’t help her focus to know that Thaos is watching from his spot at the counter next to her. He doesn’t say anything, only patiently waits for Nona to finish, but she still can’t help being just a little distracted.

At last she finishes forming the pie crust and takes a step back to survey her handiwork with a critical eye. Now Thaos finally speaks, with a faint note of amusement in his voice. “You never told me you took your pies so seriously. You could have mentioned before that you were an expert.”

Nona responds with a short, sheepish laugh. “The opposite, really- I’m more than a little rusty, but I have to make sure I got the imprint right. We don’t want to offend the Old Aedyran, do we?”

Her words earn a chuckle. “That’s true. Handmade Aedyran crust is a delicacy- we wouldn’t want her to sneak in at night and ruining all your hard work.”

It’s just an old superstition- one probably not worth the effort Nona put into pressing the imprint of the crone’s face into the pie crust- but hearing Thaos quote it still brings a smile to Nona’s lips. “That was always my favorite fairytale when I was little. I liked the scary stories.”

“I’m not surprised.”

Nona raises an eyebrow at the comment, and Thaos gives her a reassuring smile. “It’s a compliment, I promise.” Despite the slight teasing, Thaos’s expression is sincere, and Nona runs a nervous hand through her hair as she tries not to appear too affected.

Thaos _must_ know she likes him by now. Nona has done her best to not make her feelings too obvious, but he’s observant, and he surely notices how often she blushes around him. Nona would be more embarrassed over the prospect if she weren’t beginning to suspect that he likes her, too. After all, he invited her to help him with the baking today, and Thaos doesn’t allow just anyone in the Leaden Tea’s kitchens.

Or he could simply need the extra help from one of his employees, Nona reminds herself, and she could be letting her imagination run away with her.

With a sigh, Nona shakes off the intruding romantic fancies and turns her attention back to the baking supplies still spread out on the table. “Well, I better get this masterpiece of mine into the oven, and then we can…” she trails off as she realizes that Thaos is still watching her, a faint, fond smile on his lips. “What?”

“You have flour on your face,” Thaos says, with a hint of a chuckle. Nona automatically raises a hand to wipe her face, but Thaos shakes his head. “Here…”

He takes a step closer to her and runs a hand along the side of her face, his thumb rubbing the flour from her cheek, and for a moment Nona is breathless. Thaos lets his hand linger there, the gesture turning into something like a caress. For a moment he looks as if he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t, and Nona wonders if she should say something instead. But she can’t think of anything to say, not when he’s standing so close and looking at her like this-

So Nona simply leans closer, rises on her tiptoes, and kisses him.

It’s a short kiss, light and hesitant, and Nona pulls away quickly. She can feel herself blushing madly, and she’s about to apologize when Thaos leans in and kisses her back.

After a short moment of surprise, Nona returns the kiss, lifting her hands up to Thaos’s shoulders. This kiss is longer, slower, and Thaos’s hands run through her hair as he holds her close.

When they break away, it takes a moment for Nona to catch her breath again. She can’t quite believe what just happened; she may have daydreamed about something like this before, but she never thought she’d _actually_ be kissing Thaos.

And then suddenly that flustered feeling returns, and she stammers, “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t really plan on doing that.”

“Nona.” Thaos’s voice is gentle when he speaks, and Nona is relieved to see that he still has a smile on his face. “You don’t need to apologize.”

Nona lets out a nervous laugh. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now, in case you couldn’t tell.”

Thaos chuckles. “So have I.” Then he hesitates, and his expression grows serious for a moment. “I like having you here. And if you want to try something…more, I would like that, too. But I wouldn’t want anything to happen that would make you feel awkward about working together. The decision is yours.”

“Oh.” It’s a difficult feeling to explain, even to herself, but in that moment Thaos’s hesitation- his consideration- means just as much to Nona as the fact that her feelings _are_ reciprocated. At last she gathers her thoughts enough to nod and say, “My decision is yes. I mean, I would like to try…this. Us.”

Thaos smiles again, softer than before. “I’m glad.” He leans in once more, and right before their lips meet he murmurs, “Did you know you’re cute when you blush?”

Nona laughs into the kiss, and for once she doesn’t mind the pink in her cheeks at all.


	5. Valentine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the kiss prompt:   
> #57. Breaking The Kiss To Say Something, Staying So Close That You’re Murmuring Into Each Other’s Mouths

To be perfectly honest, Nona has never been very impressed with Valentine’s Day.

It’s not that she’s a complete cynic. She simply recognizes that it’s a bit of a marketing ploy- an entire holiday centered around people paying twice the normal amount for flowers and chocolates simply because the calendar says so. And she should know; she works at a _bakery._ Valentine’s is one of their most lucrative days of the year.

Thaos knows this as well, and he knows Nona’s opinion of the holiday, so she’s not really expecting anything special today- which is why she’s so surprised when he presents her with a small bouquet and a box from the bakery.

“What’s this for?” she asks, even though it’s obvious, and Thaos gives her a small smile.

“You,” he answers simply. “I know it’s not your favorite holiday, but I still wanted to do something. Even just something small.”

“You really didn’t have to do anything at all,” Nona protests, but even as she says the words she brings the flowers to her nose- they’re her favorite, tulips and lilac and pilgrim’s crown- and can’t fight off a smile. Her smile widens when she peers through the clear top of the box and sees a cupcake, fresh from the bakery, topped with her favorite dark chocolate icing.

Thaos watches her reaction, not bothering to hide his own amusement. “If you really don’t want them, I can always take them back-”

Nona cuts him off with a kiss, setting her gifts on the counter so that she can cup her hand on his cheek and pull him closer. She pulls away for a brief moment, far enough to speak but near enough that their noses are still touching. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”

She can feel Thaos’s breath on her lips as he chuckles. “I thought you didn’t like Valentine’s Day.”

“I might be warming up to it,” Nona murmurs, as she leans forward to kiss him again.


	6. Study Buddies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Wordless 'I Love You' Prompts: Tucking the sheets around them when they stir during the night

“This essay is going to be the death of me,” Nona declares with a sigh, leaning back into the couch as she glares daggers at the laptop in front of her. She leans across her notes to grab her coffee- taking care not to disturb Copper, who has decided that notebooks make for fine napping spots- and when she takes a long sip she finds that the coffee has gone cold, reminding her just how long she’s been sitting here.

She hopes she isn’t overstaying her welcome; her shift ended hours ago, but with the end of the semester approaching she has a lot of work to finish, and it’s much easier to focus in the coffeeshop than in her cramped apartment. Luckily, Thaos doesn’t seem to mind.

But her comment does seem to catch his interest, and he looks up from his position at the counter with a raised eyebrow. “That would be a shame.”

Nona smiles at him over her coffee cup. “Afraid to lose your best employee?”

“It would be devastating for business,” he answers, his voice solemn even as the corners of his mouth twitch upwards into a grin. “What is it about this essay that brings you so close to death?”

The reminder of her predicament wipes the smile from Nona’s face. “It’s not the essay, exactly, it’s the references. All of the articles that might actually be worth reading are behind paywalls.” She glares again at the screen, and a few moments later senses Thaos approach to read over her shoulder.

As he scans the words on the screens, he makes a thoughtful noise. “I remember reading about this case. I’ve even read a few of these articles.”

“Really?” Nona asks, although honestly she’s not too surprised. She’s found there are very few subjects on which Thaos doesn’t have some secret font of knowledge. “Any chance you have those articles memorized?”

She means it as a joke, but Thaos rubs his chin and nods. “Perhaps not memorized exactly, but I remember them well enough. I would certainly be able to help with your references, if you want.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean- you really don’t have to do that,” Nona says hurriedly. “I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than homework.”

Thaos smiles at that. “I don’t, actually. I was planning on staying late to go through some finances, anyway. If you want to continue your work here after closing, I would be happy to help. And I would appreciate the company.”

In spite of herself, Nona smiles. An evening spent slaving over this essay is a daunting prospect, but an evening spent discussing the essay with Thaos is much less so. The last thing she wants to do is inconvenience him, but if he truly doesn’t mind helping her…

“That sounds perfect.”

Nona’s theory is quickly proven correct: essay-writing _is_ much less of a chore with Thaos around. Part of the reason for that is purely practical; he really does have a lot of knowledge to share, and talking things through with him is an excellent way to organize her thoughts. But even if that weren’t the case, Nona would be happy to be spending time with him, to have him here to bring her tea or make her laugh with a wry comment.

As the hour grows later, Nona waits for him to say it’s getting late, and that they should leave. But he doesn’t. He just keeps working at his own laptop, citing things like finances and bookkeeping. Nona doubts that any such work actually requires his attention for so long, but she doesn’t protest. She likes the thought that he just enjoys spending time with her, as well.

Of course, there is nothing to indicate that this anything more than an evening of companionable work. Even if their talk often strays from the topics of business and school, or if it feels at times as though Thaos is watching her. He still keeps his distance, staying in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table even as Copper darts back and forth between them in a quest for belly scratches.

Perhaps Thaos does enjoy her company, but Nona has no reason to assume this evening is anything more than a favor for a friend. The thought is vaguely disappointing, but Nona appreciates his presence all the same.

Nona doesn’t remember falling asleep, and when she wakes in the middle of the night it takes a moment for her to remember where she is- curled up on the couch in the Leaden Tea, long after the time for closing has past. She also realizes with some surprise that her laptop is moved neatly to the table and a blanket has been draped across her.

She wonders for a moment what happened- obviously she drifted off in the middle of her research, but she never had a blanket…

Then, as her eyes adjust to the darkness, she sees Thaos, asleep in the armchair across from her. Copper is curled up in his lap, fast asleep as well. A sleepy smile forms on Nona’s lips as she takes in the sight, as well as the knowledge that Thaos would rather fall asleep in a chair than wake her up and tell her to go home.

Nona pulls the blanket tighter around her shoulders, and as she drifts off to sleep, she thinks to herself that she’ll have to thank him for it in the morning.


	7. A Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Sensory Prompt: the smell of Cologne/Perfume on warm skin

Thaos walks Nona home that evening, as he has done plenty of times before. But tonight feels a little different; perhaps due to the fact that Nona rarely gets an opportunity to indulge in things like the fancy dinner they’d attended, and the luxury makes the night seem a little more special.

She’d been a little nervous earlier that evening as she was getting ready. It seems silly now- she sees Thaos nearly every day at work, and it’s not as if this is their first date. But they’d never been on a date so formal, and Nona had wanted everything to be perfect. The time she’d spent on her makeup and jewelry and the long dress that brought out the color of her eyes had all been worth it for the smile on Thaos’s face when he came to pick her up.

Now, as they walk down the street arm in arm, Nona reflects that as nice as the fancy things are, she would be just as happy to spend an ordinary evening in Thaos’s company. They chat easily as they walk, and when the night air causes Nona to shiver, Thaos drapes his jacket around her shoulders. She can smell his cologne on it- a familiar scent, although when they’re at the Leaden Tea it’s usually lost under the smell of bread and coffee- and it brings a smile to her lips.

When they arrive at Nona’s door, he takes her hand in his and brings it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against her knuckles. “Tonight was lovely,” he says. His smile widens ever so slightly. “ _You_ are lovely.”

Nona laughs and pulls him closer for a real kiss. They linger for a moment in front of her doorway in that embrace, until Nona pulls away enough to ask softly, “Will you stay?”

The next morning, Thaos wakes Nona with a kiss pressed to her cheek. Eyes still closed, she smiles sleepily and rolls over to kiss him back. She can still smell the cologne on his skin, mixed now with her own perfume. “Good morning,” she murmurs through a yawn.

“Good morning,” he replies. He presses another kiss to her cheek.“Would you like some breakfast?”

“That sounds perfect.”

The bed shifts as Thaos gets up, and Nona lies in the sheets for just a moment longer before rising with another yawn to join him in the kitchen.

It is a very good morning, indeed.


	8. Silver Lining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by the Sensory Prompt: Raindrops on eyelashes

For once, everything is going just fine. Nona’s classwork is done for the week, her landlord finally fixed the heating in her apartment, and she is set to be right on time for her interview.

Of course, the moment she thinks to herself what a nice change of pace it is for things to be running so smoothly, it begins to rain.

It starts as a slow drizzle, but by the time Nona ducks underneath the nearest awning the rain has increased to a genuine downpour. She’s managed to shield herself from the worst of it, but her hair is already damp, and raindrops are clinging to her eyelashes. Nona blinks them away, trying not to ruin her makeup as she does so.

From her shelter, she glares at the sky and curses herself for leaving her umbrella at home. She can’t miss this interview, but she also _really_ doesn’t want to show up soaked to her bones.

Nona stalls for a while under the awning, throwing dark looks back and forth between the sky, which shows no sign of clearing, and her phone, which continues to tick down the minutes. She is just about give in and accept that showing up to the interview drenched is better than showing up late when a voice cuts through her thoughts.

“Pardon me, miss?”

Nona looks up, startled, as she realizes the words were addressed her. The speaker is a man who actually looks prepared for this weather- he wears a long coat and thick sweater, and is carrying a large umbrella. His gaze is fixed on Nona, and for a moment she wonders if she should recognize him from somewhere. His dark beard and hair, which he wears long and loose, would not be out of place back home in Aedyr, but she can’t recall ever meeting him…

Then Nona belatedly realizes that in her nervous pacing she has blocked the sidewalk, and he is merely trying to walk by without having to push past her. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, taking a step back to allow him to pass.

He almost does, but he pauses, giving Nona a look halfway between concerned and curious. “Are you all right?”

“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” Nona says automatically, even as she realizes she must appear quite ridiculous, trapped under the awning like this.

He smiles, the expression a bit teasing but not unkind. “You simply look a little lost.”

Nona gives him a sheepish smile of her own and runs a hand through her hair. “I know where I’m going, actually. Just…” she motions towards the sky as a way of explanation.

The man nods in understanding. “Yes, the storms can sneak up on you this time of year. Which direction are you heading?”

“Only a block or so north. I suppose it won’t be too bad if I hurry…”

Even before Nona finishes her sentence, the man holds out his umbrella. “As it turns out, I’m heading that way as as well. I can walk with you, if you’d like.”

The offer catches Nona off guard, and she almost says no simply on reflex. But it _would_ be nice to be presentable for her interview. The man waits for her answer, patient but not expectant- it seems he does just want to help. So Nona lets out a sigh of relief and nods gratefully. “I would appreciate that very much, thank you.”

They set off down the street together, keeping a close yet polite distance that would be odd in any circumstance aside from two strangers sharing an umbrella. Luckily, man is tall enough to easily hold the umbrella over both of them, and the walk is far less awkward than Nona expects.

“Thank you,” she says again. “I normally wouldn’t mind the rain, really. Usually I think it’s rather nice. It’s just that at this particular moment, I’m on my way to a job interview and I’d like to make a better first impression than showing up drenched.”

Her companion nods, a smile once again forming on his lips. “That’s understandable. What is this job you’re interviewing for?”

“It’s at the Leaden Tea,” Nona replies, repeating the name of the name Hafmacg had given her. “Apparently it’s a pretty well-known bakery and coffeshop around here.”

Recognition lights up in the man’s eyes. “Ah, yes, I have heard of it. A fine place to work, in my opinion.”

Nona nods. “I’m still fairly new to town, so I haven’t had the chance to try it myself. But it does sound promising. I’ve read that they also host lecture nights, and it seems that they support a lot of events at the university. Hopefully that means it will be a perfect fit while I’m still in grad school.”

“Grad school and a job?” The man glances down at her curiously. “You’ll certainly have a busy schedule.”

“I know. It wasn’t my original plan, but…” she trails off, realizing as she speaks that she probably shouldn’t regale someone she just met with the details of the recent fight with her father. She bites back a soft sigh, trying not to dwell too much on those memories.

The fight itself would be bad enough on its own- Nona and her father had been close, before. Unfortunately, their disagreement has led not only to the loss of their relationship, but to the loss of a promising internship and financial support as well. Nona still has her spot at school and scholarships that cover much of her tuition- thank the gods for that- but there are things like rent and groceries and textbooks that she now must handle on her own. She hadn’t realized before how much she was depending on her family. But if she has to do this on her own, she can and she will.

Nona blinks, realizing that her thoughts have drifted off and the man beside her is now regarding her with an odd look. Not a _critical_ look, exactly- more thoughtful, perhaps, as if he’s trying to guess at her thoughts. His eyes are a lovely color, Nona can’t help but notice. A unique shade of green she’s never seen before.

With a slight blush, Nona quickly recovers herself and flashes him a polite smile as she says, “As I was saying, I now find myself in need of a job. It will be a busy semester, but I must work somewhere and the Leaden Tea sounds like a lovely option. Which is why I should probably thank you again for taking the time to help me.”

He chuckles. “There’s no need for that; I’m walking this way, anyway. And I would agree with that description of the Leaden Tea, although my opinion may be somewhat biased.”

Nona has just enough time to wonder what he means by that when he motions to the building they’ve just arrived at. “Ah, here we are.”

He follows her to the door and even holds it open for her in what Nona assumes is one final act of chivalry, but to her surprise he walks in right behind her. After taking a moment to shake the rain from his umbrella and place it in a holder near the door, he turns to Nona with another halfway-teasing expression and an outstretched hand. “I don’t believe I have properly introduced yet. My name is Thaos, and I assume you must be Nona.”

“ _Oh.”_ This is Thaos- owner of the Leaden Tea and the man Nona is supposed to be interviewing with today. Nona wants to kick herself, but she tries to push back against her embarrassment as she returns the handshake.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize- it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she says, desperately trying to sound confident even as she hastily tracks back over their conversation in her mind, hoping she didn’t say anything inadvertently rude.

Luckily, Thaos only seems amused by the situation. He chuckles and motions to a door towards the back of the main room. “We can continue the interview here, but don’t worry- you have already made a good impression.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Leaden Tea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22532206) by [Bazylia_de_Grean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazylia_de_Grean/pseuds/Bazylia_de_Grean)




End file.
